April14, 2020

COVID-19 Update April 13, 2020

On Tuesday, April 7th, the Walton County School District was able to feed over 2,500 students a total of eight meals (four breakfasts and four lunches) for a grand total of over 10,500 meals. This was a 37% increase from our daily distribution plan.

We want to thank everyone who made our first weekly food distribution possible! Thank you to our food service workers, bus drivers, custodians and plant managers, guardians, nurses, and school teams. We also want to thank all of the departments, such as our Facility Department, who sent teams to help prepare meals. It was a true team effort, and we appreciate all who contributed!

Parents, because of the success of Tuesday’s weekly distribution, we will continue this model as planned. Upcoming dates for food will be April 14th, 21st, and 28th. On Tuesdays, parents will be provided with 10 meals per child (five breakfasts and five lunches). Our five food distribution sites will remain the same (Paxton, Mossy Head, Maude Saunders Elementary, Walton Middle, and Freeport High School); however, we have continued to make small adjustments to our transportation routes. Please see the attached stops. On Tuesdays, food distribution sites will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Please continue to call or submit online questions to your child’s school if you need information about food, technology help, computer devices, paper portfolios, and more. We are here to help and continuing your child’s education is important to us!

April6, 2020

April1, 2020

The Morning Show is Back!

Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Saltsman have been working hard on bringing the morning show back for all of you! We miss you all so much! Click the link below to watch this week's morning show and stay tuned for more to come.

March31, 2020

We have just received official word from the Florida Department of Education regarding school campus closures. The 3/31/20 press release states:

"Today, Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran recommended that all Florida public and private K-12 school campuses extend campus closures through May 1, 2020. This recommendation follows President Donald J. Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) extension of social distancing guidelines until April 30th."

Parents, please know that we always want to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information, which is why we waited until FDOE’s official press release. Based on the information above, Walton County School District will continue our At-Home Education Plan and school campuses will remain closed to students through May 1st.

Please be sure you have visited your child’s school website to receive this week’s school-based At-Home Learning calendar. The calendar will provide a list of resources for core subject areas. For specific questions about curriculum, instruction, and/or technology, please refer to your child’s teachers and/or your school. The district is continuing to work with the Florida Department of Education regarding attendance and grades, and updates will be provided soon.

Please remember that you can submit a question online to your school or school district by using the “Contact Us” tab on our websites. We are also available during regular school hours by phone. Again, thanks to everyone for being patient and understanding during this trying time.

March30, 2020

Parents and Guardians,

Please take a moment to complete this brief online survey. This is the survey that you usually receive along with your child’s report card each quarter. The feedback that you give to us on these surveys helps guide us in making decisions for Freeport Elementary School. There is a link to the English version and Spanish version below. We appreciate your feedback!

March29, 2020

COVID-19 Update March 27, 2020

We hope you can watch our newly released video message. Superintendent A. Russell Hughes, along with his district office staff, would like to dedicate this message to all Walton County School District students, parents, and employees. The video serves as a special thank you to parents, who are the rock stars of our first ever At-Home Learning model. We could not have done this week without you, and we appreciate you! We also miss our students and employees dearly and all of you are in our hearts and minds as we navigate these uncharted waters TOGETHER.

Before we get to academics, we must give a big thank you to our extraordinary bus drivers and food service workers. Because of you, along with district and school teams, the WCSD is feeding approximately 1,500 children, a total of 3,000 meals, on a daily basis. Due to this response, we will continue to provide meals for children ages 1 to 18 at our five school sites and on bus routes throughout Walton County. We also want to thank our partners, the Florida Department of Agriculture, Food for Thought, The Matrix, and numerous restaurants and organizations throughout Walton County.

We do have two changes that are coming Monday, March 30th in regards to food distribution. First, food pick up at our five sites (Paxton, Mossy Head, Maude Saunders Elementary, Walton Middle, and Freeport High School) will now be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Also, there has been small changes to our bus routes, which were posted yesterday. These changes include lengthening stop times and adding additional stops.

Looking at academics, we want to thank and recognize our parents who have started WCSD’s At-Home Learning plan. We have heard from so many of you, and we appreciate your dedication to your children and your positive attitudes. We can see our students logging on daily to Class Link and their success in our many online platforms, such as Compass Learning, Study Island, Khan Academy, and more, which we are now so grateful to have had in place.

As we are transferring instruction back to schools, please visit your school’s website. Each individual campus will post their own At-Home Learning Calendar for the week of March 30th. Many of the schools’ plans may mirror our initial At-Home Learning Calendar as we are using parents’ feedback from this week. Many of you have said you appreciate straight forward and clear directions as you embark on this new journey.

Parents, we have mailed report cards home, so you can view your child’s grades for the third nine weeks, which reflects work prior to Spring Break. Please expect report cards on Monday. Teachers will also begin to reach out to you regarding how we will capture your child’s work during our At Home Learning model.

We also want to welcome back our teachers and staff at schools next week; however, as we continue to keep our employees safe, we may work in a variety of different settings and times in order to follow CDC guidelines. Parents, as teachers return, you will start to see them reach out to you via phone or other technology. When we reach out, please let us know any individual questions or concerns you may have. This can include technology help, curriculum clarifications, and content questions. Your school’s administration will also be available as school offices will be open Monday through Friday during your school’s typical hours. Please contact your individual school for questions and concerns. You can also submit a question via any school or district webpage. We are here to help you and your child!

As a final note, we just want to say thank you again to students, parents, employees, and the entire Walton County community. We have received well wishes and positive messages from so many groups and individuals, and it is appreciated more than you know. We are so blessed to be a part of such a strong community that values education! Please continue to stay safe, and thank you!

March29, 2020

On Monday, March 30th in regards to food distribution, please see the following change. Food pick up at our five sites (Paxton, Mossy Head, Maude Saunders Elementary, Walton Middle, and Freeport High School) will now be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

March26, 2020

Attention New Bus Stops for COVID-19 Delivery!!

COVID-19 Update March 26, 2020

Please see our revised bus route list for food distribution and Paper Portfolios. Many bus stops have remained the same; however, some times have been changed and a few new stops have been added. These changes take place Friday, March 27th. We continue to work to make our food distribution routes as smooth as possible. Thank you!

March26, 2020

Great news, FES Parents and Students!

Accelerated Reader is now available Monday through Friday from 7:15-2:15 for students to take tests on books from home! Since not every child has access to books and devices to test on, end-of-year A.R. awards will not be affected by tests taken at home, only those taken from school.

Students may access AR on their ClassLink page. Please remember that students should follow the guidelines that we always use for taking AR tests:

Take the test without assistance.

Test only on books that are in your reading level. You can check your reading level by looking at the Progress Button once you are logged in. You may look up a book’s AR number by using www.arbookfind.com.

Remember to read short books more than one time before testing.

Follow any other guidelines that your teacher requires you to follow.

If you get locked out of your account or need assistance with a username or password, contact Mrs. Jackson at [email protected] .

March23, 2020

We miss our student families and we know this is hard and confusing. We are here to support you, and we want to give you some very important information. Please watch the following video and contact us if you have any questions.

Updated Information

March20, 2020

COVID-19 March 20

The WCSD has produced two items for you, a food distribution flyer and food distribution via bus route information. As a reminder, food distribution will begin on Monday, March 23rd at five school sites, and on Wednesday, March 25th, food distribution will also occur using common bus stops as well. Thank you for sharing our flyer! Please visit the WCSD website for more information at https://www.walton.k12.fl.us/covid-19

March12, 2020

March6, 2020

The March 2020 Monthly Update from Superintendent A. Russell Hughes is here!

This month's video was filmed at the District Office Tivoli Complex in DeFuniak Springs. Superintendent Hughes shares important end of the 9 weeks information, as well as Kindergarten registration, Arts in Education Month, Women in History Month, and accolades for recently received awards and successes,Please "like" and share the great news about Walton County School District!

March6, 2020

In honor of Read Across America week and Dr. Seuss' birthday, Kindergarten and First Grade students received a rare guest reader. A visit from the Cat in the Hat! Students enjoyed a story and some hand shakes from their special guest.

March4, 2020

COVID-19 Update

The Walton County School Board continues to be proactive in the prevention of COVID-19.On Tuesday night, Ms. Holt, from the Florida Department of Health in Walton County, presented the latest information regarding the virus and provided guidance on best school health practices. Superintendent A. Russell Hughes shared that the school district will continue to take precautionary measures including sanitizing schools and buses, ordering additional cleaning supplies, and posting updates for parents on social media.The district also shared that state and community collaboration is taking place on a daily basis. Just this morning, Superintendent Hughes participated in a statewide conference call that included Florida Governor DeSantis, the Florida Surgeon General, and Florida Department of Education officials.Communication will continue on a regular basis with the Florida Department of Health in Walton County.For the most up to date information on COVID-19, please call the Florida hotline at 866-779-6121

Important Information Regarding COVID-19

The Walton County School District is staying up-to-date on COVID-19 through consistent communication with the Florida Department of Education and the Walton County Health Department. The health and safety of our students is always our number one priority. As always during the flu season, our schools are working hard to keep all school surfaces and furniture clean and sanitary, but we have extended our efforts in order to be as proactive as possible for our students and employees.

All of us can also help prevent the spread of germs. Reminders can include:

February25, 2020

The FES Odyssey of the Mind team has qualified for the state competition. The team of third and fourth grade students will travel to Orlando on April 10th and 11th to compete in the Florida Odyssey of the Mind.

The team competed on February 22nd in the Division 1 Competition at Shoal River Middle School in Crestview. They solved problem three, Effective Detective, without receiving any penalties or zeroes and scored the highest in the performance category. They placed second by only three points.

Team members include third graders Brylee Leavins, Alyssa Graham, Kase McCullers, Sophia Barrientos, Selena Vosper, and Madison Chun. They are led by their amazing coaches Teresa Tripp and Debbie Duncan. We are very proud of the 2020 FES Odyssey team!

Odyssey of the Mind is a program that has challenged students for over twenty-five years to think “beyond the box.” Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and about 25 other countries participate in the program. For more information, visit https://www.floridaodysseyofthemind.com/.